>> let me put on my glasses here for a moment and read you a piece of wire copy that has just come across on reuters. >> russian president boris yeltsin ordered all army and kgb units involved in the overthrow of gorbachev to stand down and said he was assuming control on the territory of russia. clearly, there is a major confrontation shaping up in the russian republic. >> the presidents' day began with a succession of meetings and phone calls. among his conversations were one with boris yeltsin whose status in the white house has risen suddenly to that of the potential savior of soviet democracy. >> when the tanks came in, the commander called him and said i'm supposed to attack you, but i will not. i will protect you. and that's when he stood up on the tank and indicated to the coup leaders, these guys are with me and not with you. >> it is a coup by criminals. said yeltsin. >> because of the liberalization that gorbachev had brought